Cord holder



Jan. 29, 1963 H, WOHLFEIL 3,075,723

CORD HOLDER Filed April s. 195s tlniteni gratas athenes @GRD HLDERLeonard H. Wohfeil, Hazen, N. Dak. Fiied Apr. 3, 1953, Ser. No. 726,@733 Claims. (Ci. 242-3511;)

This invention relates to a holder for holding in convolute form andretaining, elongated flexible elements such as electrical service cords,wire, clothes-lines and the like.

In television and radio sets and many other electrical appliances, theunit is equipped with an elongated electrical service cord which isnecessarily of considerable length for plugging into an availableelectrical outlet. The handling and retaining of such cord when the unit-is stored or transported is bothersome and usually inconvenient.

It is an object of my invention to provide an extremely simple buthighly eilicient cord holder' of the class described which may bemanufactured very economically and which in its preferred form, may beconstructed from a single, integral length of resilient material such asspring wire or resilient plastic, serving as a spool or reel upon whichthe cord may be convolutely wound and serving also, as a spring clipretaining element in conjunction with a supporting wall or surface, andalso having integrally formed therewith, readily attachable elements foroperatively securing the device to a Wall having appropriately spacedapertures formed therein.

A further and more specific object of the invention is the provision ofa cord retainer of the class described which includes a shallow spoolelement of skeleton construction upon which an elongated, liexibleelement may be convolutely wound and which also, in conjunction with asupporting Wall provides an efficient elbow-like retaining clip forsecuring a loop portion or the free extremity of the flexible member, toprevent displacement and unwinding thereof Another object is theprovision of a cord retainer of the class described, which may bereadily applied and secured upon the rear wall or cover of conventionaltelevision and radio sets which at the present time, are constructed ofpunchboard stock or the like, having a plurality of spaced holes orapertures therein and Wherein the peculiar construction and resiliencyof my holder enables the entire holder to be readily attached to a wallhaving at least a pair of spaced apertures formed therein and whereinthe spacing of said apertures may vary within a considerable range.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to thesame parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG l is a rear perspective view of a portion of a conventionaltelevision set wherein the rear wall is constructed of punch-board orapertured stock, with a preferred form of my invention operativelyattached thereto and retaining an elongated, electrical service cord;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, showing the elbow portion of myholder forming its clip or retaining function in combination with theadjacent surface of the supporting wall; and

FIG. 3 is a View in top elevation from a portion of the top of the setor unit, showing an installation of a preferred form of my device.

Referring to the several views of the drawings, I have illustrated anembodiment of my invention applied to a conventional television set, thechassis of which is housed within an ornamental cabinet indicated as anentirety by the letter C, having a top S and a rear cover- Patented Jan.29, i953 wall 6. The cover wall is constructed in conventional manner ofpunch-board composition or the like, having as shown, a multiplicity ofseries of apertures 6a therethrough, to provide ventilation and alsointroduction of service cord, antenna and the like.

The preferred form of my invention may be very readily and without useof any tools, attached in vertically or horizontally or obliquelyextending relation upon the rear wall 6.

In the embodiment shown, my entire holder is constructed from a single,integral length of at least somewhat resilient rod or strip material '7such as spring wire capable of deformation in shape to retain itsdeformed configuration While supplying resiliency; or from suitabletough and resilient plastic material.

The intermediate portion of the rod or strip piece is formed as wellillustrated in FIG. 3, to have a conguration of dovetail or overallcleat shape, having an elongated, substantially straight, outer portion7a which extends substantially parallel to the supporting wall andhaving inwardly convergent end portions 7b about which the flexible cordmay be convolutely wound, as shown in FIGS. l and 3 of the drawings. Thecleat-shaped reel constituting the part '7a and two end portions 7b,deines substantially a plane.

From the inward end of one of the converging elements 7b, -a short arm Sextends substantially normal to the plane of the cleat. It then, asshown, is bent outwardly in parallel relationship to the wall 6 to whichmy device is attached, forming a short arm 8a, which arm terminates atan acute angle to form an attachment hook 8b adapted for insertionthrough one ofthe apertures da of the wall 6.

Extending oppositely and laterally from' the opposite end piece 7b ofthe cleat-shaped frame and forming a free elbow or clip 9, is anintegral, elongated arm 1t) extending substantially normal to the planeof the cleat frame, said arm l@ at its outer portion being bent atsubstantially right angles lying in a plane substantially parallel tothe wall 6 to which the device is to be attached. The extremity of theshort arm ll is bent at an acute angle to form an attachment hook lla ofarm l1 and then adapted to engage the edge dening one of the appropriateapertures 6a of the wall to which the device is attached.

The resilient nature of the material from which my entire device isconstructed, with the cleat-shaped frame, enables the attachment hooks15 and lla, to be sprung apart to adequately tension the device forsecuring the hooks to the appropriate edges defining two of theapertures 6a.

With the device attached, either horizontally, vertically or obliquelyto the wall 6, an electrical service cord or other flexible element ofconsiderable length may be readily wound upon the cleat-shaped spoolframe in convolute form, with the convolutions retained by the inwardlyconverging ends 7b thereof. The free end of the service cord or the likemay then be frictionally inserted between the elbow-clip and theadjacent surface of the supporting wall, clamping this free end, or ifdesired, a loop of the elongated, flexible element and securelyretaining the same against inadvertent displacement.

Due to the resilient construction and the configuration of my holderdevice, including the latitude for flexing of the device between thepoints of attachment (hooks Sb and lla), the overall device may beexpanded resiliently or spread to cause the hooks to properly anchor inspaced holes, wherein the distances apart thereof vary considerably. lnthis connection, the cord holder is always attached to two aperturedportions of a supporting wall, whereby application of the retaininghooas 8a and 11a place the entire integral length of the piece undertension. Thus, eilcient attachment is assured.

From the drawings it will be clearly seen that the integral arms 8 and1l) which extend laterally from the planar cleat portion 7 also extendnormally Ato the Vplane of the cleat and constitute base arms forengaging the vertical Wall 6, thereby stabilizing the cleat to preventtwisting thereof during use.

Although the height of the frame spool orV reel is quite shallow,nevertheless by convolutely and helically ywinding a cord thereon, avery substantial length of cord may be successfully retained.

In 4anchoring the free end of the cord, or if desired a loop or bight ofthe same, it is only necessary to slightly lift the arm 10 above theadjacent surface ofthe supporting wall, force the cord thereunder andrelease the elbow whereupon an effective anchoring of the element isassured.

It o'f co'urse will be understood that while l preferably construct myentire device integrally from a single piece or strip of resilientmaterial, other simplified attachment elements may be utilized inplaceof the integrally formed hooks, all within the scope of my invention.

From the foregoing, it `will be seen that ihave provided a veryeconomical and extremely simple, yet highly et`n`cient cord holder ofthe class described, which in its preferred form may be readily appliedand `supported from the apertured walls of conventional radio andtelevision sets, or from any Wallv having lformed therein a pair ofspaced openings within a range, dimensionally, of the adjustability ofmy construction.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope .of my invention.

What is claimed is:

Vl. A holding device for an Velongated `flexible element such as anelectrical service cord comprising a cord Jholding memberl lyingsubstantially in a plane and having inwardly converging end portionsupon which the flexible 'element may be Wound in the form of adjacentoverlying .convolutions, said member having extending from one `endthereof a resilient arm generally normal to the plane of said holdingmember, said arm being adapted to cooperate with a supporting wall toform a clip for holding a portion of said cord therebetween and meansfor readily attaching said member to a supporting wall to thereby Lcausesaid arm to overlie said wall in closespaced relation thereto forsecuring said cord therebetween to prevent unwinding thereof.

2. A cord holding device constructed from an integral, elongated,resilient member having its intermediate portion shaped in dovetailmanner as a cleat lying in a common plane and having Vinwardlyconverging ends about which a cord may be wound, one end portion of Saidelongated member being formed into an attachment element extending fromone side of said cleat and generally normal to the plane thereof, theother end portion of said elongated member extending from the other sideof the cleat and generally normal to the plane thereof, thereby forminga resilient clip arm, the outer end of said other end portion beyondsaid arm being formed into a second attachment element lying generallyin the same Yplane as said rst mentioned attachment element, saidattachment elements being adapted for attachment to a supporting wall tothereby cause said resilient clip 'arm to overlie said wall in closespaced relation thereto to secure said cord therebetween.

3. A cord holding device constructed from a single, elongated, resilientmember having its intermediate portion defining a planar skeletonwinding frame with end sides of said frame converging inwardly to retainwound convolutions of a cord, the end portions of said elongatedmember'extending outwardly in opposite directions laterally of `the saidskeleton winding frame at the vbase Ythereof and forming elbows andlbase arms in relation with the end sides of said frame, said base armsextending substantially normal to the plane of 4said skeleton windingframe, each of said -base arms being adapted to `function as resilientclips when the frame is attached to a wall, the extremities of said end`portions being formed into oppositely extending .hook portions forattachlment to apertured portions of an apertured supporting wall inwidely spaced relation, the resiliency of said elongated memberpermitting expansion of said arms between said hook portions andsubsequent tensioning of said arms to cause said hook portions to firmlygrip said wall and dispose said arms in close working relation to thesurface of said wall to enable said arms to cooperate with said wall'tosecure a cord therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS878,394 Holle Feb. 4, 1908 1,219,658 Meyer Mar. 20, 1917 1,417,215Syrett May 23, 1922 2,004,983 Goldberg June 18, 1935 2,294,151 Wooten etal. Aug. 25, 1942 2,577,473 McEwen Dec. 4, 1951 2,597,210 Walters May20, 1952, A2,692,054 Berglund Oct. 19, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 271,415Germany Mar. 13, 1914 478,987 Italy Mar.'7, 1953

1. A HOLDING DEVICE FOR AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT SUCH AS ANELECTRICAL SERVICE CORD COMPRISING A CORD HOLDING MEMBER LYINGSUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE AND HAVING INWARDLY CONVERGING END PORTIONSUPON WHICH THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT MAY BE WOUND IN THE FORM OF ADJACENTOVERLYING CONVOLUTIONS, SAID MEMBER HAVING EXTENDING FROM ONE ENDTHEREOF A RESILIENT ARM GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID HOLDINGMEMBER, SAID ARM BEING ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH A SUPPORTING WALL TOFORM A CLIP FOR HOLDING A PORTION OF SAID CORD THEREBETWEEN AND MEANSFOR READILY ATTACHING SAID MEMBER TO A SUPPORTING WALL TO THEREBY CAUSESAID ARM TO OVERLIE SAID WALL IN CLOSE SPACED RELATION THERETO FORSECURING SAID CORD THEREBETWEEN TO PREVENT UNWINDING THEREOF.